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Estuary
Rehabilitation

Rebuilding vital coastal marsh platforms using traditional ecological design, native sedge transplanting, and field-tested exclosure techniques.
Goose icon Partner With Us
Reclaiming

Coastal Marshes
from Overgrazing

Surging resident Canada Goose populations cause severe degradation to tidal marshes through persistent grazing and root grubbing. This destroys native Carex lyngbyei (Lyngbye’s sedge) beds, exposing mud and gravel bars while accelerating bank erosion that wipes out vital salmon habitat.
Our field teams reverse this damage by physically re-establishing marsh platforms, stabilizing banks, and restoring healthy coastal ecosystems.

Pioneering
Eco-Cultural Fencing

Standard plastic or wire exclosures often break down in harsh marine environments, leaving synthetic debris behind. To solve this, Guardians of Our Salish Estuaries (GooSE) invented eco-cultural fencing.
While regular fencing barriers have been useful for deterring goose traffic, this particular style is protective of the estuary as it blocks non-migratory Canada Geese from entering sensitive vegetation zones, while still allowing fish and other small aquatic life to move freely underneath.
  • 100% Biodegradable Materials
  • Targeted Goose Exclusion
  • Zero Marine Pollution

Active Revegetation & Marine Recovery

Building protective exclosures is only the first step. Our field specialists actively rebuild degraded estuaries through hands-on biological restoration.
  • Sedge Transplantation
    We harvest healthy Carex lyngbyei plug stock from thriving donor sites and transplant them directly into denuded mudflats protected by our fencing.
  • Nearshore & Subtidal Work
    We extend our restoration protocols to protect vulnerable nearshore marine habitats, including eelgrass beds in areas like the Sooke Basin.
  • Monitoring & Maintenance
    Our teams conduct regular site inspections to repair seasonal fence wear, measure plant density recovery, and ensure young root structures take firm hold.

Estuary Rehabilitation
Services Within BC

Our specialists provide hands-on estuary rehabilitation services across Vancouver Island, the mainland coast, and interior regions. Key project locations and operational areas include:
  • Nanaimo River Estuary
  • Little Qualicum River Estuary
  • Okanagan Canada Goose mitigation & agricultural conflict resolution
  • Englishman River Estuary
  • Campbell River Estuary
  • Chemainus River Estuary
  • Oak Bay Islands and Ecological Reserves

Partner With Our Wildlife Specialists

Contact our volunteers to discuss estuary restoration, goose management, or field consultations.